Lambda Wars (formerly Half-Life 2: Wars) brings the struggle between the human resistance and their Combine overlords to a multiplayer real-time strategy setting. The Lambda Wars beta only requires Alien Swarm installed to play. It features 3 multiplayer game modes: Sandbox, Annihilation and Overrun, showcasing the Rebels and Combine playable factions and a full-fledged RTS interface and HUD. There is also a singleplayer tutorial and a handful of singleplayer missions.

Greetings and salutations! If you've been following our progress, you're probably wondering where the Antlion demo release went. Never fear! In the time-honored tradition of our Lord and Savior Valve Software, we here on the Half-Life 2: Wars team have decided to postpone the release a bit longer. Before you go crying on our forums or slitting your wrists in sorrow, though, hear us out: our excuse is quite valid!

We've realized that as a tech demo / proof of concept build, the Antlion demo does its job admirably - it demonstrates how the new codebase allows for vastly improved performance and AI and brings HLW that much closer to being a proper Half-Life universe RTS. However, since there is a rather limited unit selection for the Antlion race, it would get boring rather quickly for players to only play Antlion vs Antlion skirmishes. As such, we are working overtime to implement a new gamemode for the demo, called Overrun.

The Overrun gamemode we're working on is pretty simple. It can be played either as singleplayer or as multiplayer co-op, where players take command of a remote Combine outpost under assault from never-ending waves of the antlion hordes. Each consecutive wave of antlions gets a little tougher than the last, with kills netting the players money to purchase more defenders, upgrades, technologies, and special abilities. The game is over when the antlions finally overrun your base and kill everything - the objective is to survive as long as possible. With plenty of upgrades, abilities, units and defensive structures to choose from, the addition of the Overrun gamemode should greatly increase the replayability and fun factor of the demo, particularly due to the co-op feature where multiple players defend a base together against the antlion swarm.

We're working on implementing Overrun as fast as we can, so the demo is still not far off. We can't put a specific timeframe on the release yet (because we always miss those), but the team is working as hard between managing schoolwork and other real-life responsibilities to get this out for you guys to play as soon as possible. We'll keep you posted on our progress, so expect to see some screenshots, video, and more information about the Overrun gamemode in the coming weeks. The team would also like to thank all of our loyal fans, especially our forumgoers, for their patience and support. Without your encouragement, praise, and criticism, we could never have come this far, and we're committed to following through on our promises and bringing you guys the best Half-Life real-time strategy experience that can be had.

That should bring you all up to date with what is happening, remember to stay tuned for further broadcasts.

P.S We'd also like to put out another request for team members! We are looking mainly for 3d artists,texture artists (both for model skins and world textures) and Level Designers, so if you are experienced and have a respectable portfolio, get in touch with us on our forums or by email (hl2warsmod@gmail.com) If you have some other modding talent, feel free to drop us a line as well. We're always looking for talented people. Source engine experience is not required but strongly desired.

Glad you guys are thinking about the long run. Things are looking better and better and I hope you have a successful release. Your the only mod that has tried this hard to recreate HL2 in the rts genre and i would hate to see the hard work you've put into this antlion demo fade rapidly from everyone's interest. This overrun gamemode is sure to keep things interesting and i wish you the best of luck!